Billions of Dollars in Property Damage Each Year Is Caused by Severe Weather

February 21, 2017

A building’s roof edge can play a factor in whether or not the roof will withstand the assault of severe weather.

By Metal-Era

Winter weather adds stress to buildings with cold winds, the weight of snow on the roof and extreme temperatures. After experiencing wintry weather, spring arrives with its own challenges in terms of severe storms and tornados. According to The National Climate Assessment and NOAA, high wind events in the U.S. occur roughly 14,000 times annually with wind speeds of 58 mph or above. The analysis of the current data available suggests that as time goes on they will only continue to become more common. A building’s roof is the first line of defense against the elements and the part of the building more likely to be affected by the high winds of winter and the spring storms that follow. This is why a building’s roof edge should be one that is rigorously tested and code compliant, as well as properly installed. If the roof edge is compromised, the building itself and everything inside are likely susceptible to wind and water damage.

If you look at the picture below you will see that once the roof was compromised, large portions of the entire building collapsed. In 2011, an EF-5 Tornado hit Joplin, MO, with wind speeds exceeding 200 mph causing 161 fatalities and roughly 3 billion dollars in damage to 553 businesses. The Home Depot in Joplin was completely destroyed. Of the 73 concrete slab panels (weighing roughly 100,000 lbs each) that made up the exterior of the building, 63 fell. The roof was completely torn off the building in a matter of moments. Once the roof was torn off, the concrete panels lost their stability and fell resulting in several fatalities. The building was constructed to comply with local building codes which required it to resist winds up to 70 mph. The winds that destroyed it were estimated to be approximately 165 mph.

About Metal-Era
Metal-Era’s Anchor-Tite products are rigorously tested to comply or exceed building code and FM approval for maximum wind uplift protection. Through our SPEQ promise we provide consistent wind protection, including the highest wind warranty in the industry covering the lifetime of the roof edge and winds up to 215 mph. For more information about Metal-Era or our SPEQ promise, email info@metalera.com or call 800-558-2162.